Forever
by ChoCedric
Summary: AU. Sequel to Brothers in Arms, but can stand alone. Cedric convinced Harry to take the Triwizard Cup on his own. The day after, he and Cho have a talk about life, death, love, and fighting for what is right.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Forever

By: ChoCedric

Cho Chang and Cedric Diggory were sitting on the top of the Astronomy Tower, their arms around each other, Cho leaning against him, smelling the warm, comforting scent of his Cologne. It was the day after the Triwizard Tournament was over, and Cho was so relieved that Cedric was here, solid, safe, and alive. For there had been a chance, a huge chance, that he might not have been.

This was because last night, he had almost taken the Triwizard Cup with Harry Potter, but had convinced the younger boy to take it alone at the last moment. Cho could still remember the chaos and confusion as Harry touched the cup; he had disappeared in a flash right before everyone's eyes. She could still remember Minerva McGonagall leading her shaken boyfriend out of the maze, his gray eyes filled with concern and worry. Over the course of the tournament, she'd known that Cedric had begun to feel a great amount of compassion for Harry.

What happened minutes later would haunt Cho for the rest of her life. Harry came back into sight with a THUMP! at the entrance of the maze, clutching the cup and claiming that You-Know-Who had returned. Cedric and Cho had stood with Cedric's parents, holding hands and staring into Harry's fearful emerald eyes, listening to him babble on about You-Know-Who's resurrection. He'd seemed so sincere that the couple had instantly believed him.

Today, Cho had found the two Hogwarts champions clinging to one another for comfort in an empty classroom, both of them overwhelmed by last night's events. As Cho touched Cedric's boyish waves of hair gently, she knew what she wanted to ask him as she looked into her boyfriend's compassionate gray eyes.

"So how did the talk with Harry go?" she asked gently as she relaxed into him.

"He's really upset," said Cedric, worry emanating from him. "He looks like a Muggle would look if they'd seen a ghost. Whatever happened last night must have been truly terrible."

"Did he tell you anything about it?" Cho asked.

"No, not really, he just said he'd survived only because of a coincidence," Cedric answered. "Cho, I feel really bad that I wasn't there with him last night."

"I know, love, but You-Know-Who probably would have killed you," Cho said softly, tears filling her eyes as she thought of having to live without this wonderful young man. A shudder racked through her as she imagined Harry not only clutching the Triwizard Cup, but also Cedric's lifeless body. She didn't want to think of the love of her life with a permanent look of shock and fear etched upon his handsome visage.

Cedric tightened his arms around her, knowing what she was thinking about. "I couldn't live without you either," he said truthfully, "but I still feel awful about not being able to do anything to help him. I feel like a terrible person, for just letting him go off alone to battle You-Know-Who."

"Love, none of us had any idea that cup was a Portkey," Cho consoled him. "Did you tell Harry this?"

"Yeah, and he had the same reaction as you, saying that You-Know-Who probably would have killed me," said Cedric, squeezing Cho's hand. "And no, of course I don't want to die. But I don't feel like a champion anymore."

"You'll always be a champion to me," said Cho lovingly, nuzzling Cedric's neck. "You'll always be the champion of my heart."

Cedric let out a soft laugh and drew his girlfriend into a kiss. When they broke apart, he said, "It makes me so angry, you know. Dumbledore's announcement at breakfast shocked me."

"Yeah, me too," Cho replied. "To think that Alastor Moody was not Moody, but a Death Eater the entire year!"

"It makes me disgusted at my own selfishness," Cedric admitted. "I thought Harry had cheated his way into the tournament, but I know the truth now. I suspected that he hadn't put in his own name when he told me about the dragons, but I know it for sure now."

"Cedric, Harry wouldn't want you to beat yourself up about this," Cho soothed. "If I know him as well as I think I do, he wouldn't be angry with you."

Cedric smiled softly. "Yeah, he did tell me it was okay," he told her.

"I always thought Harry was a sweet boy. It's a real shame he had to go through what he did last night," said Cho. "I think I might corner him myself, to tell him I believe him and am willing to back him up. The next little while's going to be really rough for him, I suspect."

"He said the Minister of Magic doesn't even believe him," Cedric said disgustedly. "The look in his eyes ... how could anyone doubt him?"

"I know, that's really stupid," Cho said in the same disgusted tone Cedric had used. "Oh, Ced," she continued, burrowing herself even further into him. "I'm so glad you're alive. If that monster had killed you ..."

"I know, love, I know," Cedric whispered, tenderly stroking her hair.

"I know I'm probably being selfish," Cho said, sniffling a little, "thinking about what life would be like without you when I should be worrying about Harry. But please know that I'm ever so proud of you, and I'll never stop loving you."

"I'll never stop loving you either, little missy," said Cedric sincerely. "But Cho, sweetheart, if I had died, I wouldn't have wanted you to mourn forever for me. Yes, I would have wanted you to remember me, but I would have wanted you to move on. If I couldn't have stayed on Earth to love and cherish you, I would have wanted another man to show you happiness."

Tears fell down Cho's cheeks as she began to sob in earnest. Cedric rubbed her back and stroked her hair, trying his best to comfort her. "I w-would've done my b-best for you," she replied, holding on tightly to his hand. "But it would've been so h-hard."

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere now," Cedric whispered in her ear. "The tournament's over now."

"But Y-Y-You-Know-Who's back," Cho hiccuped. "What if something awful happens to you?"

"We mustn't always think about the what ifs, Cho," Cedric told her softly. "Last night, I learned a big lesson. Life's too short to worry about what could happen. We must cherish each day and live our lives to the fullest, and be happy in the moments that we do share. Can you do that for me, little missy?" He smiled at her, calling her the nickname he had so lovingly picked out.

"Okay, I'll try not to worry," Cho promised. "I'm just so glad you're here now."

"I'm glad to be alive, too, and here with you," Cedric said, kissing her temple. "And I'll always be here for you, no matter where I am. Forever."

"Forever," Cho repeated, listening to Cedric's steady heartbeat. The couple stayed like that for awhile, simply holding one another. There were going to be battles ahead of them, but for now, they were simply glad to be together, in love and happy. And they vowed they would do everything they could to get rid of the evil in the world. Forever.


End file.
